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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. march — the month
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rash — hasty
  8. club — for golf
  9. root — the cause
  10. craft — a skill
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rash — a series
  15. craft — boats
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — of a plant
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com